This invention relates in general to a whitening endermic liniment, and more particularly to a highly safe whitening endermic liniment with a substantially improved skin whitening effect.
Pigment deposition in skin, such as with chloasma and freckles, results from the formation of melanin pigment due to hormonal abnormalities or ultraviolet light stimulation from sunlight followed by the excessive deposition of this pigment in the skin.
This melanin pigment is produced in melanin producing granules (melanosomes) in melanin cells (melanocytes) in the epidermis base layer. Melanin thus produced is then diffused to neighboring cells by means of osmosis. The biochemical reactions in the melanocytes are speculated to be those described below.
That is, the production process of melanin pigment is thought to be as follows: tyrosine, one of the essential amino acids, becomes dopaquinone through the action of the enzyme tyrosinase, and this is then changed to a red pigment, to a colorless pigment and finally to melanin, which is black, by enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic oxidation.
Therefore, in order to suppress the production of melanin, it is important to suppress the first stage of the reactions, i.e. the action of tyrosinase.
In order to prevent chloasma and freckles, there has been research on substances which would suppress melanin production. Examples of such methods include a method in which a large amount of L-ascorbic acid is administered, a method in which glutathione and such are injected, and a method in which hydroquinone, kojic acid, cysteine, etc. are blended in an endermic liniment such as ointment, cream, and lotion, and applied locally.
However, many of these have problems in terms of stability, safety, odor, etc. Also, the expected effect is weak and unsatisfactory.
Based on the aforementioned situation, the inventors conducted earnest research to obtain an endermic liniment with a superior whitening effect which is highly stable and safe, and discovered that an extract from a plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania), has the tyrosinase activity suppression effect and the melanin production suppression effect and that an endermic liniment with a superior whitening effect can be obtained by blending this extract into an endermic liniment, thus completing the present invention.
The object of the present invention is to provide a whitening endermic liniment with a superior whitening effect which is highly stable and safe.
That is, the present invention provides a whitening endermic liniment which characteristically contains an extract from a plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae, genus Withania (Withania).
Also, the present invention provides said whitening endermic liniment wherein said plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania), is Musali (common name; Musali, scientific name; Withania somnifera).
Furthermore, the present invention provides said whitening endermic liniment wherein the blend ratio of said extract from a plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania), is 0.0001-20.0 wt % of the total amount of the whitening endermic liniment.
Also, the present invention provides said whitening endermic liniment wherein the blend ratio of said extract from a plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania), is 0.0001-20.0 wt % of the total amount of the whitening endermic liniment.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a skin whitening method which characteristically applies said whitening endermic liniment onto skin.
Also, the present invention provides a melanin production suppressing agent which characteristically consists of an extract from a plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania).
Furthermore, the present invention provides said melanin production suppressing agent wherein said plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania), is Musali (common name; Musali, scientific name; Withania somnifera).
Also, the present invention provides a tyrosinase activity suppressing agent which characteristically consists of an extract from a plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania).
Furthermore, the present invention provides said tyrosinase activity suppressing agent wherein said plant of the Solanaceae family (Solanaceae), genus Withania (Withania), is Musali (common name; Musali, scientific name; Withania somnifera).